Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the implementation of canal excavation projects will have a massive positive impact on the country’s agriculture, environment, and rural economy.
“According to the election manifesto, there is a plan to excavate approximately 20,000km of canals across the country. Such a massive program cannot be completed in a single day; it will be carried out in phases," he said.
The minister made the remarks while inaugurating the Bamansundar canal re-excavation project in Mirsarai Upazila of Chittagong.
The project is part of a nationwide initiative by the prime minister to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals, and water bodies, implemented by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC).
Amir Khasru stated that a target has been set to complete 1,200km of canal excavation within the next six months.
Regarding the local impact of the Bamansundar canal project, the minister noted that its completion would bring nearly 15,000 hectares of land under cultivation, leading to an additional food production of approximately five thousand tons.
Addressing the challenge of illegal encroachment of canals and water bodies, the minister said stern action would be taken against the encroachers. The process of demarcating canal boundaries has already begun, he said.
He asserted that no individual or group would be allowed to occupy government-owned canals and that excavation would proceed strictly according to the identified boundaries.
He likened the importance of these projects to social safety net programs like agriculture and family cards, aimed at improving the overall standard of living.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Maliyaish Multipurpose High School field, was presided over by the Chittagong deputy commissioner.